Shelf unit



United States Patent Office 3,517,826 Patented June 30, 1970 3,517,826 SHELF UNIT Manfred Schafer, Salchendorf, near Neunkirchen, Ge many, assignor to Fritz Schafer K.G., Neunkirchen, Kreis Siegen, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Jan. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 697,493 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 19, 1967, Sch 43,568 Int. Cl. A47f 5/00 US. Cl. 211-134 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shelf unit which can, by the stacking of a selected number of similar units, be assembled to any desired height by utilizing a base plate, a top frame, corner 'uprights arranged at selected corners of the base plate with each corner upright having an outer portion comprising a generally C-shaped cross section having an elongated slot therein. The lower end of the corner uprights are notched and arranged to permit same to rest generally on the base plate with the web and one flange of each of the C-shaped sections extending past the upper surface of the base plate and closely embracing the edge surfaces of the base plate adjacent the corner and the upper ends of the corner uprights similarly notched and resting against and embracing the corners of the upper frame. The shelf unit further comprises an inner portion having a U-shaped cross section arranged within the outer portion with its web extending across the slot and rigidly afiixed to the portion of the outer portion adjacent the slot. The web of the inner portion is provided with projections extending through the slot. Posts are rigidly afi'ixed to the base plate and to the top frame and extend into the respective ends of the outer portion and are of a size and shape to fit snugly therewithin. The area of bonding of the post to the base plate and top frame is located within the inside contour of the outer portion of the upright when same is placed on the post.

This invention relates to a shelf unit which can be assembled to any desired height by being stacked up with equal units, having a frame comprising a sheet metal base plate, an upper frame and corner upright and having devices for receiving shelves whereby each corner upright has an outer profile of an upright with a *C-shaped cross section, which profile is terminated on both ends in such a way that it surrounds a corner of the base' plate and the upper frame with its bridge and a leg being perpendicular to said vbridge and that the remaining portions of the outer profile of the upright, namely the free legs and the leg opposite the surrounding leg rest on the upper surface of the sheet metal base plate or the underside of the frame.

Shelves are, with respect to their weight, very bulky items to be transported. The expense for such shipping is therefore relatively high and a shipping to far away places is therefore uneconomical. This is also true for the shipping on land but is particularly true for shipping by sea. Shelf units have therefore been constructed which can be disassembled and can be collapsed to a small package. It is difiicult to make a shelf unit which can be disassembled as sturdy as a shelf unit with frame parts being fixedly connected by Welding. It is also desired that a collapsible shelf unit does not differ in looks from a shelf unit which canot be disassembled in order to make possible a stacking of a collapsible unit With a noncollapsible unit.

The purpose of the invention is to construct a shelf of the above-mentioned type, that is, a shelf at which the corners of the metal sheet base plate and the upper frame are embraced by uprights (German Gebrauchsmuster No. 1,899,533) in such a way that the shelf without any changes at the upright and by maintaining the same rigidity as possessed by a welded shelf is able to be disassembled whereby the outer form of the shelf unit is substantially the same as the form of a shelf unit which cannot be disassembled.

To attain this purpose, the invention provides that posts are secured to the sheet metal base plate and on the frame, said posts being able to be telescoped into the ends of the uprights, the welding areas of said posts being positioned on the base plate or on the frame within the inside contour of the outer profile of the upright and that a U-profile (inner profile) provided with nose-shaped projections is inserted into the outer profile of the upright, the web of said U-profile being welded together with the free legs of the outer profile of the upright at least near the upright end thereof. Because the welding seams with which the posts are mounted to the base plate or to the upper frame do not project beyond the inside contour of the outer profile of the upright, the posts can be snugly fitted into the uprights since the welding seams are not in the way during the telescoping process. The rigidity thereof is improved by inserting the U-profiles (inner profiles) into the uprights and welding them to the outer profiles of the uprights. This prevents a spreading of the outer profiles if the shelf units are put under stress. This will be prevented because the inserted U-profile due to its being welded to the outer profile of the upright holds the free legs of said outer profile. This connection replaces the function which the connection of the parts of the outer profile of the uprights embracing the corners of the base plate and the upper frame had with said metal sheet base plate and said upper frame. The invention also incorporates a collapsible shelf of high rigidity.

The inserted U-profile (inner profile) extends preferably to the ends of the terminated legs of the outer profile of the upright and the legs of the inserted U-profile are spaced apart from the inner surfaces of the legs parallel thereto of the outer profile of the upright, said space being engaged by legs provided on the posts. In this manner the reinforcement by the inserted inner profiles extends to the end of the uprights, by which a spreading of the outer profiles of the uprights is fully prevented.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention the legs of the inner profiles are provided with outwardly projecting lugs which extend between the legs of the inner profile and the legs of the outert profile of the upright, said legs being parallel to said inner profile. Preferably a total of four lugs are provided, their distance from the ends of the inner profile being only slightly greater than the length of the posts. Such a structure for the inner profile requires no special devices to bring the inner profile in exactly the right position relative to the outer profile of the upright. During the asembling process the inner profile must only be telescoped into the outer profile of the pole and adjusts itself by means of the support of the lugs on the legs of the outer profile of the upright with respect to same.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the posts provided on the base plate are placed thereon whereby a roof-shaped web connecting two legs of the post projects into the area between the legs so that the welding seams for connecting the posts with the base plate are arranged in the area of the projection. Such a profiling of the posts makes it possible to connect the posts to the base plate from the outside by welding without having the welding seams project beyond the inside contour of the outer profiles of the upright. At the edge of the sheet metal base plate in the area of the concaved June 30, 1970 M. SCHAFER 3,517,826

SHELF UNIT Filed Jan. 12, 1968 BY fink/sew 522%? 121%, 2W3 1 plate 1 has the shelves 4a, 4b and 4c positioned thereon. The height of the stacked shelves is approximately equal or slightly smaller than the height I of the posts 5. After the shelves are placed on the base plate 1, the upper frame 3 having the posts 23 turned downwardly are placed thereon. Uprights 2 are placed into the open space between the longitudinal beams 21 and the crossbeams 22. Thus, the volume inside the box 35 required for packing is used very well.

The shelf is assembled by placing first the uprights 2 on the lower posts 5 which is made easy by the tapered portions at the posts. The upper frame 3 is then telescoped thereover which is made easily possible by the tapered portions 36 on the upper posts 23. The next step is the insertion of the shelves 4a, 4b and 4c. The frame comprised of the box sheet metal, poles and the upper frame 3 is very rigid because a spreading of the poles due to bending stress is made impossible by the welding between the inner profile 13 and the outer profile 12 of the uprights.'The outer form of the shelf unit is a noncollapsible shelf unit and another shelf can therefore be stacked together with such a shelf unit. If condensed water should form inside the upright 37 (FIG. 4) same can drain off through the recess 11 because said recess 11 connects the hollow space to the outside.

Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of such disclosure, which come within the scope of the appended claims, are fully contemplated.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A shelf unit which can by the stacking of a selected number of similar units be assembled to any desired desired height, comprising in combination:

a base plate;

a top frame;

corner uprights arranged at at least selected corners of said base plate, each corner upright having an outer portion comprising a generally C-shaped cross section, the free edges of which define a slot, the lower ends of each of said corner uprights being so notched and arranged to permit same to rest generally on said base plate with the web and one flange of each of said C-shaped sections extending past the upper surface of said base plate and closely embracing the edge surfaces of said base plate adjacent said corner and the upper ends of said uprights similarly notched and resting against and embracing the corners of said upper frame;

an inner portion comprising a U-shaped cross section arranged within said outer portion with its web eX- tending across said slot and rigidly fixed to the portion of said outer portion adjacent said slot, the web of said inner portion being provided with projections extending through said slot;

posts rigidly afiixed to said base plate and to said top frame extending into the respective ends of said outer portion and of cross-sectional size and shape to fit snugly therewithin, the area of bonding of said post to said base plate and top frame being located within the inside contour of the outer portion of the upright when same is in place on said post.

2. A shelf unit according to claim 1, wherein the inner portion extends to the notched portion of the legs of the outer portion of the upright and that the legs of the inner portion are spaced from the inner surfaces of the legs of the outer portion and parallel thereto and wherein said posts are provided with flanges receivable within the spaces between the outer portion of the upright and the inner portion.

3. A shelf unit according to claim 2, wherein outwardly projecting lugs are provided on the legs of the inner portions, said lugs extending between the legs of the inner portion and the adjacent legs of the outer portion of the upright for spacing of same.

4. A shelf unit according to claim 3, wherein a total number of four lugs are provided, their spacing from the ends of the inner portion being only slightly greater than the length of the post.

5. A shelf unit according to claim 1, wherein said posts include a pair of spaced legs and wherein a roof-shaped web connecting said two legs of the post projects into the area between said legs, and wherein the bonding zone for connecting the posts with the base plate are arranged in the area of said roof-shaped web.

6. A shelf unit according to claim 5, wherein the edge of the base plate in the area of said roof-shaped web is provided with vertical grooves for drainage of condensed water and the like.

7. A shelf unit according to claim 1, wherein the ends of the post legs are tapered.

8. A shelf unit according to claim 1, wherein the posts mounted to the upper frame have a flap which is fixed to the web and fixedly connected with the frame and which is bent inwardly a distance equal to the thickness of the metal sheet of the frame and the width of which is not greater than the space between the free legs of the C- shaped frame portion.

9. A shelf unit according to claim 1, wherein the length of the posts equals the stacking height of the intermediate shelves which belong to the basic equipment of the shelf units.

10. A shelf unit according to claim 1, wherein the total length of the corneruprights is less than that of the inside length of the upper frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 993,491 5/1911 Wiselogel 211-l34 1,473,817 11/1923 Gorsline 211-134 X 1,836,901 12/ 1931 Caldwell 211-134 X 2,522,748 9/1950 Claude 211134 X 2,691,502 10/1954 Jones 211l34 X 3,042,473 7/ 1962 Vincens 211-134 X 3,202,296 8/1965 Diack 211-134 NILE C. BYERS, JR., Primary Examiner 

